BEE the change

Illustration by: Nicole Cicak

I attended a PechaKucha event this month with the theme revolving around plants (one of my biggest obsessions). One of the speakers was a beekeeper and I was so intrigued by everything she was saying. At that point my knowledge about bees was limited to the general information you get in passing. Bees, beehives, honeycomb (...ice cream! Yum!), honey, flowers, them being endangered. But after her 6 and a half minute presentation, all I wanted to do was find out more.

So I took to the internet and started reading up on bees and just like everything else you search on the internet, you start to spiral into a black hole of information. An evening was well spent.

Through my readings, beeswax was something that kept popping up. With our Beeswax Wrap Workshop coming up, I thought it would be fun to do a little intro as well as some ideas on what else you can use beeswax for.

photo cred: abeego

Beeswax wraps have quickly made its way to the mainstream market, and with good reason! There are so many crazy things going on in the world today and one of the major problems we face are environmental issues. It’s not easy living a sustainable life but every little bit counts.

Beeswax wraps are great because they are a reusable alternative to plastic wraps. They keep food fresh while using materials that are not harmful to our bodies or to our planet. The most basic way to make them uses only cotton cloth and beeswax but you can get creative and add some other natural ingredients like jojoba oil and tree resin to give it more of a stretch.

Some pro’s and con’s of beeswax wraps:

PROS

Uses safe and natural materials

They biodegradable and compostable

Reusable, over and over and over again

CONS

Pricier than plastic wrap - but consider how much you spend on plastic wrap and ziploc bags a year

Requires some maintenance

Not as pliable as plastic wrap

Beeswax comes in different forms and functions. Since you will having beeswax on hand from your beeswax wraps, here are other crafty ways you can put them to use:

Candles

photo cred: Hello Glow

Because of the benefits of beeswax, burning them in candle form make for a natural option that actually purifies the air as opposed to releasing toxic chemicals. This DIY tutorial by Hello Glow teaches you everything you need to know about making beeswax candles.

Wood Treatment

Photo cred: Susan Hudson

All you need for this project are 3 simple ingredients and 3 simple steps. This is a great affordable alternative to expensive wood polish. Or if you’re anything like me who refuses to spend on stuff like wood polish, this will give you incentive to start treating your wood pieces with love and care.

Lip Balms

Photo cred: Fellow Fellow

Not only does Fellow Fellow teach you how to make your own natural lip balm but they give you free printables to go with it! You can add your choice of essential oil to customize it to your liking. Have chap-free lips all summer long.